Footwear



Mara 18, 1930.

A. BLAIN FOOTWEAR Filed. Feb. 19, 1927 zberuamm 15 dullness becoming smooth and shiny. This outer surface in which case it can be covered [3 Patented Mar. 18,1930 i v r r UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE I 3 Application filed February 19, 1927. Serial N0. 169,433.

The object of the invention is to provide a recess, cavity, aperture, or chamber, either improvements in shoes, sandals, slippers, and lined or unlined, and in combination with re the like, and more particularly in the heels storing means, and a holder for same when p thereof. I necessary or advisable, together with, means Another object is more specifically to proto yieldingly secure said means within the 50 vide a construction whereby it is possible for heel, and thus prevent loss or even loosening one to, at all times, carry in the heels of each of'said restoring means when notin use, as pair of shoes means to restore the texture, when the footwear is being employed for its color, finish, etc., of shoes'to theirroriginal intended purpose of protecting the feetof 10 state. the wearer while walking or running.

For instance, suede shoes have a certain type I Again, it is to be understood that the recess of surface finish, independent of their color, in the heel may extend thereinto in any dewhich is destroyed by the shoes rubbing'or sired direction, as for instance beneath the V knocking against one another, the original instep, or laterally inwardly from an exposed condition can be remedied and the orlginal by suitable ornamentation or camouflage such appearance restored by rubbing or scratchas is used upon evening slippers.

ingthe smooth surface with a course bristl'ed lVith these and other objects in mind, the

or wire brush or the like. invention comprises further details of con- Kid shoes and slippers having variously struction and operation fully brought out in a; colored surfaces lose their true colors through the following description, when read in conwear, but it is possible to restore the desired junction with the accompanying drawings, color by applying a liquid or wax dye to. the in which Fig. 1 is a perspective View ofa kid. The trouble has always been, however, slipper, representing any desired type offootthat only a shoe repairman or professional wear, provided with one embodiment of'the polisher could do such work, with consequent invention; Fig. 2 is a central vertical section delay and expense. Similarly, white buckthrough the heel portion of the slipper shown skin and canvas shoes and slippers, so much in Fig. 1, and showing also the capsule reworn during the summer months especially moved from the aperture in said heel; Fig.3

30 while, engaged in the pursuit of sports, lose is a side elevation of the capsule per se with 7 their original white freshness of appearance the brush in extended position; Fig. 4: shows and have to be restored by the use of either a modified form of capsule embodying a piece dry or wet chalk mixtures and the like. of chalk, colored Wax, or the like; and Fig.

Consequently, this invention is to be con- 5 is a side elevation of a pair ofelements I 35 sidered in its broadest scope as anticipating intended to represent the capsulescarried by the use of any form of surface restoring the respective heels of a pair of slippers or the means for boots, sandals, shoes, slippers, etc., like, one of which comprises a pencil or stick carried wholly or in part in the heel of such of polish, and the other a suitable buffer of an article of apparel, or in the two heels of fibrous or other material.

40 apair jointly, in which case the actual article, Referringtothe drawings, the heel 1 of a 5 7 device, or means within one heel may be supslipper is illustrated as being operatively plementary to and even dependent upon the attached to anupper 2, which represents any article, device, or means, in the other heel of type of upper portion of any article of foot the pair. wear which is made of any of the well-known 4 A still further object is to provide in a heel materials, the appearance of which changes through constant wear, such for instance as beneath the instep 5 of the slipper, through wearers foot presses'when the slipper is inv one of the other lateral surfaces thereof, or even through the uppermost surface within the slipper and against which the heel of the use. 7

This chamber 3 may be provided with any desired form of lining 6, such for instance sented the case n which more than one element is necessary for use in restoring the ap-- .pearance of a given piece of footwear. For

as that provided by the use of a cylindrical brass tube or the like, the outer edge portion ofwhich may be flared at 7 to provide a pleas 'ing appearance from the outside.

The uppermost wall of this lining may, if desired, be extended so as to provide a yieldingly positioned resilient extension to form a latch or catch'8, adapted to engage and re 1 tain the cleaning or other elementwithin the heel cavity v For purpose ofillustration, there is shown in Figs. 2 and3,'a cleaner element particular- I I lyvadapted for use with suede shoes or slippers,in which a'cylindrical member 9 is closed at its outer end lOand provided with a radially extending flange 11, adapted to be normally engaged by the latch 8'to retain the element within the cavity 3. The member 9 is furthermore provided with an L- shaped slot 12, the shorter angular leg 13 of which is provided with a reversely extend- 7 ing relatively shallow off-set 14. f Within said element a tubular member 15 is slidably positionedand is provided with a pin 16 slidable within the slot 12, said last-named tubularmember 15 supporting one end of enters the shorter leg 13 of the slot-, the

brush, the bristles 17 of which are retracted 7 within the cylindrical member 9 when the member15' is in its innermost position.

However, when the member 15 is extended outwardly and rotated so that the pin 16 ,bristles 17 are in the extended position shown r set 14 of the slot and thus prevents the brush in Fig. 3, and as the outer container capsule or cylinder 9 is used as a handle to scrape or rub the brush over the suede leather surface of the shoe upper 2, the pin 16 enters the 0&-

from accidentally becoming withdrawn into the collapsed position shown in Fig. 2. After the suede has been brushed until it 'regains its original surface appearance and tex- 'and enters and assumes its original position in the innermost end of the longer leg of the slot 12as shown in Fig.2. Thereafter, the cleaning or rejuvenating device as av unit is carrying chalk with white fabric or white buckskin slippers, while colored wax or the like would be employed for use with shoes and slippers having uppers of various'colors' and of such surface characteristics as could be restored by the use of such materials.

Referrlng to Fig. 5, there 18 here repreinstance, a container 23,'having a flange 24, may be provided withla pencil 25 of black or other form of polish, such as that which is used for most types .ofmens black "leather shoes, this element being normally positioned within the heel of one shoe, while a second and difierent element is normally positionedwithin the heel of the other shoe of a pair. The other element in this instance, also shown in Fig. 5, may comprise a cylindrical casing 26, having an L-shaped slot 2?, similar to the slot 12 of Fig. 2, anda flange 28, likewisefor engagement with the latch Sbefore described, while within said casing there maybe slidably positioned any suitable form of 'fibrous polisher element 29 for use infinishing thesurface of the'sho'e after the polish carried by-the element 23 has "first been applied thereto.

Thus this invention can'be applied to any type of footwear whatsoever and it is not essential that the latch Sjcompmse an extension of the lining member 6, but may be separate therefrom. On the other hand,'if it is desired to omit the lining 6, 'a separate spring latch may be secured within thewallsurface of the recess 3, but in any case thefreely extending portion of the latch being substan tially, if not entirely,'visib le, while the shoe or slipper equipped with thedevice is in use,

manually to releasethe'cleansing or rejuve-. hating-element whenever such is desired and operating to perform its function of retaining said element within the'h'eel cavity readyet freely engageable and readily operable ily upon inserting said element therein and pressing it inwardly as far as it will'go.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is 1; The combination of'an article of foot wear comprising a heel and an upper, a chamber in said heel, a tubular member forming a handle, an element of renewing material slidable within said member,-means to tempora-w rily maintain said element in extended rela tion with respect to said member and adapted to permit said elementto be withdrawn at will into and to be shielded by said member, and means to normally maintain said member and said element as a unit in said chamber.

2. The combination of an article of footwear, comprising a heel and an upper, and having a chamber within said heel, with a sub-caliber member slidable within said chamber, an element of renewing material slidable within said member, and means to normally maintain said member and said element within said chamber.

In testimony whereof I have afliXed my signature.

ALBERT BLAIN. 

